Saber and Irisviel ascended, magnificent as duelists heading to the agreed-upon location, on the four-lane road for the large vehicles that were meant to travel it.
The enemy was already visible, neither running nor hiding.
The tall shadow standing in the middle of the empty docks emitted an extraordinary amount of Magical Energy, even more outrageous than his strange attire, clearly showing that he was human.
The two Servants stopped, facing each other, about 10 meters apart.
Finally, they met the first Servant.
Saber carefully observed the enemy she would fight to the death.
He was a handsome man, with long, peculiar hair combed back. He was quite captivating at first glance. His main pole, over two meters tall and taller than him, was obviously his weapon.
Among the seven Classes, he was one of the three Knight Classes, Saber, Archer, and with them, the Heroic Spirit of the lance. Without a doubt, he was the Servant Lancer.
The odd thing was that he didn't just have that long lance.
Along with the lance Lancer held loosely in his right hand, its head resting on his shoulder, he also carried in his left hand a shorter lance, about a third of the length of the right one.
To wield a lance with ease, the obvious stance is, of course, to hold it with both hands. Whatever one might do with swords, it's hard to imagine that wielding two lances is common.
Both lances were tightly wrapped from handle to tip with cloth that seemed like an amulet, concealing the shaft. This was likely a countermeasure to avoid revealing the true name of the Noble Phantasm.
"How kind of you to come. All those parading through the city today merely cowered... You were the only brave one who answered my invitation."
With a humble and cheerful tone of praise, the man, the Heroic Spirit Lancer, casually asked Saber, without being on guard.
"That pure fighting spirit... Am I correct in thinking you're Saber?"
"You are. Surely you must be Lancer?"
"Indeed. Hm, it's unusual to exchange names with an opponent in a mortal fight. That was a pleasure that's not mandatory."
In agreement, Saber slightly relaxed her feigned boldness.
"Certainly not. To begin with, our battle isn't for honor. You yourself are raising your lance for your master of this era, aren't you?"
"Uh, correct."
With a strange expression, Lancer replied in a cold and bitter tone, not resembling someone eager for a mortal exchange. On closer inspection, he was an extremely handsome and attractive man.
His fearless features included a high nasal bridge and a valiant eyebrow. Despite his stern mouth suggesting a stoic air, his eyes seemed to hide a silent sadness, yet a strong, virile aura emanated from him. Below his left eye, he had a beautiful mole like a teardrop. This gave his gaze an even more striking brilliance.
In fact, his features were those that could steal a woman's heart in the blink of an eye.
Holding herself behind Servant Saber, Irisviel slightly shortened her breath while frowning.
"...A magical charm. It's rude to use it on a married woman, Lancer."
Clearly, Lancer was emitting a spiritual power that could enchant a woman. As Irisviel's body was that of a homunculus, it was specialized in the use of magic, and her magical resistance was higher than normal, but an ordinary woman would be enslaved by this man at first sight.
Lancer shrugged with a bitter smile at Irisviel's comment.
"Sorry, that's some kind of curse I've had since birth. That's all you'll get. Blame my birth or your femininity."
An example of a charm curse is a Mystic Eye, but the only one Lancer had been looking at directly from the start was Saber; he hadn't glanced at Irisviel behind her.
The spell was likely activated the moment Irisviel looked at his face. That would make it a Mystic Face rather than a Mystic Eye.
Laughing, Saber observed Lancer.
"You didn't expect my sword to be dulled by that handsome appearance, did you, Lancer?"
"That would be a great joy, but in truth, the Anti-Magic Skill of the Saber Class isn't in vain. It's good that my first opponent has such courage."
"Hoh, you were hoping for a fair fight. It's an honor to face such a proud Heroic Spirit."
Exaggerating, Saber responded with a calm smile. It was a smile only for those who desired a perfectly straightforward life-or-death exchange.
"Then... anytime."
Taking the long lance from his right shoulder and spinning it once, Lancer raised the tip of the short lance in his left hand. His stance, spreading both lances like wings, was truly an unreadable style.
Saber's fighting spirit also surged and exploded.
A wave of Magical Energy enveloped the girl's slender dark suit in a whirlwind like a tornado, and in the next instant, her body was clad in silver and blue armor.
The armor and gauntlets, created as if by magic, were the true form of the beautiful King of Knights as a Heroic Spirit.
"Saber…"
Swallowing hard, Irisviel called out from behind. She could feel the fighting spirit released by both Servants, as well as the tense atmosphere from that tension. There was no room to interrupt this battle. And yet, she couldn't simply stand by and watch. She was merely Saber's substitute master.
"…Be careful. I can support you with healing magic, but no more…"
Without a word, Saber nodded.
"Leave Lancer to me. But I'm worried that the enemy master is nowhere to be seen."
As Saber said, remaining invisible, Lancer's master was a danger.
Normally, a master would stay by their Servant's side and direct them as the battle unfolded, as well as provide magical support. Unless Lancer's master had full confidence in him, he must be lurking nearby to observe Lancer's battle.
"He might be preparing some strange trick. Please, be cautious."
"Irisviel, I trust you to watch my back."
Her jade eyes spoke calmly. Fearlessly. "Trust in the Heroic Spirit of the sword. As the one this Heroic Spirit recognized as her master, trust in yourself too, Irisviel," her eyes said.
"…Understood. Saber, bring me victory."
"Yes, I will."
Nodding resolutely, Saber took a step forward.
Toward the range of the long lance, where Lancer stood on guard…
In a few seconds, Saber closed the 10-meter distance between her and Lancer.
Spinning the long lance in his hand, Lancer attacked, and Saber defended with her sword.
The shockwave from the lance attack that Saber blocked destroyed a piece of the asphalt street half a meter from the tip of the lance.
The asphalt fragments flew with the wind from the shockwave caused by the long lance.
Lancer attacked with the shorter, cloth-wrapped lance, and Saber tilted her head back slightly to dodge the attack.
Then Saber advanced a step and attacked Lancer.
Lancer defended against Saber's attacks, stepping back and blocking each of her sword strikes.
Saber attacked again, and Lancer swung the long lance. But their weapons didn't connect in that attack.
Saber quickly attacked again, and Lancer crossed both lances to block her sword.
The asphalt under Lancer's feet sank, cracking and breaking from the force behind Saber's attack.
Lancer smiled confidently…
*****
After receiving the signal sent by Irisviel, Emiya Kiritsugu and Hisau Maiya ran toward the docks as per her direction. They were greeted by an eerie silence at the location.
There was only the howl of the sea breeze in their ears and an atmosphere as quiet and stagnant as death. The night was so serene.
However…
"…It's already started."
Just from the traces of Magical Energy in the surroundings, Kiritsugu was able to accurately assess the situation.
"Someone formed a barrier. Probably the enemy Servant's master."
The goal was to isolate ordinary humans from the Heaven's Feel, concealing the true battlefield of the war. It's a mandatory rule for mages to prevent their activities from being exposed to other mortals.
Kiritsugu began to ponder while holding the roughly ten-kilogram sniper rifle. He had already estimated Irisviel's position based on the transmitter. However, doubts remained about how to approach the location and from where to observe once they arrived.
He didn't even consider entering the battle; that's why he brought the sniper rifle. He wanted to inspect the battle from a suitable location, attacking with the rifle only when necessary. Servants are not human, so only a Servant can harm another Servant. No matter how powerful Kiritsugu and Maiya's firearms were, they wouldn't work on Servants. It was Saber's job to fight the enemy Servant. As long as the enemy could focus on the battle and not worry about their master's safety, it would be possible to win this fight.
"Up there, it looks like a good spot to observe the fight."
Maiya pointed ahead while speaking. It was a crane rising into the night. Judging by the view, the control cabin hovered about 30 meters above the ground, making it the best possible observation point if someone could climb up silently.
Kiritsugu had no objections to Maiya's suggestion but shook his head because of it.
"Yes, that's the ideal place to watch the battle. Therefore, we shouldn't be the only ones who thought of it."
"…"
Without further explanation from Kiritsugu, Maiya already understood his intentions.
"Maiya, approach from the east bank, I'll go from the west… Find a observation point that can cover both Saber's battle and the crane."
"I understand."
Maiya vanished into the shadows of the docks, running while holding the AUG assault rifle in her hands.
Kiritsugu checked the transmitter's input as he cautiously moved in the opposite direction from Maiya.
*****
All Irisviel could do was watch the battle before her in awe.
This battle unfolded with extraordinary intensity.
She knew it was a merciless duel that could only have happened in that distant era.
Warriors clad in armor, engaged in single combat, fighting with the full strength of their bodies amidst the light reflected off the sword and lance and the shadow of swinging blades.
But the amount of Magical Energy escaping and the intense heat were different.
If it were just a clash of cold steel, what would be the powerful torrent of air that accompanied it and threatened to destroy everything in sight?
The foot that landed crushed the ground.
The wind that followed the swing of the weapons crudely cut a pole in half. Irisviel could no longer see the movements performed at such high speeds. She was only feeling the shock of the conflict between the two.
The peeling iron sheet on the outer walls of the warehouses was torn off by the wind on Irisviel's side as if it were a piece of rolled aluminum foil. She couldn't comprehend how iron could be ripped apart. Perhaps it was Saber's sword or Lancer's lance grazing the adjacent hollow space. Beyond that, she couldn't find any other explanation.
The wind was moaning.
Faced with a dimension entirely at odds with the physical laws of this world, the air emitted paranoid wails.
A chaotic storm ravaged the dock street, destroying and trampling everything around.
Just the hand-to-hand combat between the two would be enough to ruin an entire street.
'Heaven's Feel…'
Irisviel was experiencing the awe and admiration only recounted in stories. The world where myths and legends dwelled came vividly to life before her eyes.
'…These could be the legends reborn.'
Thunderbolts tore through the sky, roaring waves shattered the earth. The imaginary realm was miraculously materialized with astonishing clarity.
'This is… the war between Servants…'
Faced with a world she hadn't thought possible until then, all Irisviel could do was watch as if paralyzed.
At the same time, Saber was experiencing a similar wonder.
The slaughter in war was truly effortless for her. As a knight who faced countless battles in her life, she fought her enemies as smoothly as she would use a knife and fork.
In her understanding, a lance should be a weapon wielded with both hands. It's common knowledge.
So she thought that for Lancer, using two lances was merely a means to confuse the enemy.
As the Heroic Spirit of the lance, the lance in his hands should be his Noble Phantasm. Considering that revealing the true name of the Noble Phantasm in the Heaven's Feel is equivalent to exposing one's true identity.
Therefore, the amulets attached to Lancer's lances must be intended to conceal the true name of the lance. It seems his Master and he were very cautious about hiding identities. If that were the case, it wouldn't be hard to explain why he was using two lances.
Since Saber didn't know which lance was the true Noble Phantasm, she had to defend against attacks from both.
Even so, the long lance on the right, the short lance on the left… one of them must be Lancer's true weapon.
Between the usual weapon and the one used to dazzle the enemy, one could distinguish feints from solid movements. So Saber paid close attention to each of his attacks. She believed that if she could identify the true lance, her chances of victory would greatly increase.
Still…
Her own attack was deflected for the third time. Saber had to retreat to wait for a better opportunity.
"What's wrong, Saber? Your attacks aren't really working."
"…" She couldn't argue against Lancer's taunts. After about thirty exchanges, she still hadn't managed to hit her opponent even once.
Lancer swung the lance in his right hand and approached her in a straight line. The oscillating shaft covered a wide area, its strength and speed equal to those achieved with both hands. No, precisely because it was used with one hand, there were many movements impossible when a lance was conventionally wielded with both hands. The lance was thrust toward Saber from an unexpected angle.
However, a lance has its own limitations. Due to its extended length, a gap inevitably appears between two attacks. During that time, the shorter lance on the left could follow and continue to harass Saber.
Saber's attack at that moment was broken by the impeccable defense of the short lance.
Using two lances simultaneously, but without making feigned movements. This Heroic Spirit, Lancer, fused the lances in his left and right hands into a perfect choreography. What kind of devotion and practice were needed to achieve such a strong fighting style?
'…This man is good!'
Saber still trembled at having such a strong opponent in her first battle so far. But now Saber suddenly escaped that shadow of fear.
Despite this, to observers, Lancer might seem to have the upper hand with his relentless attacks, but the truth was otherwise.
Lancer was practically exhausted from defending against Saber's attacks since they first clashed. Despite his taunts, he too was powerless to change the situation.
For Lancer, who could wield his lance with just one hand, using both the long and short lances simultaneously allowed him to attack at both long and short range. Considering his weapon supremacy, he shouldn't have been forced into his current situation by Saber and her single sword. However…
'The Sword…'
Lancer silently complained in his heart. It wasn't just the observer Irisviel who couldn't see the high-speed sword's movement. Even Lancer, a Servant himself, couldn't discern the trajectory of the sword in Saber's hands.
Lancer had no way of knowing. This too is one of the Noble Phantasms of the Heroic Spirit Artoria, the threat of the Invisible Air Barrier of the Wind King.
The air around the sword was compressed with immense amounts of Magical Energy, creating impossible light refractions, rendering the sword invisible. Though not a significant boost to the Noble Phantasm, its effect was very clear in close combat.
Saber's opponent is attacked with an invisible sword, and the counterattack is similarly blocked by an invisible sword. Lancer's concern was understandable. Even if he could decipher Saber's attacks by her movement, he couldn't make surprise attacks against her due to the inability to see the length of her blade.
Thus, Lancer could only close the distance and keep himself out of Saber's reach. Only then could his magnificent continuous attacks be used to their fullest extent. Despite being able to block all of Saber's attacks, he still hadn't found an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to her.
'This woman is too good…!'
Facing the enemy he had just met, knowing the time had come to fight for his life, a sad smile appeared on Lancer's face.
The two Heroic Spirits devoted themselves entirely to the fight, sparing no thought for the world around them.
No, even if they had been on guard, in their current state, they might still be unaware that someone was entering the terrain…
The reason was that, not only was the newcomer at a considerable distance from the sparks flying from the deadly dance of blade and lance, he moved silently in the shadows and also had the Skill of 'Presence Concealment' that could bypass a Servant's detection.
A gust of wind from the sea stirred the black cloak, a trace of a satisfied smile emerging on the face beneath the white skull mask.
Assassin hid in the perfect spot to observe the direct battle… the crane hovering beside the cliff. The spot was about 500 meters from the conflict site. As a Servant with vision superior to a human's, he could clearly discern the conflict between the two, even identifying their expressions with precision.
Meanwhile, the two combatants barely had time to consider whether they were being spied on.
He could have remained in his spiritual form and gathered information from a much closer distance. But while in spiritual form, his senses would have shifted to spiritual detection, and the task his master gave him tonight was to observe with his eyes.
Assassin, understanding his master's intentions, silently watched the battle unfolding at a distance as per his order.
*****
Fifteen kilometers from the warehouse area of the docks where the deadly fight continued.
Someone was sitting in the darkness of the basement of the Fuyuki Church, enveloped by the silence of the night.
While his eyes were closed, he wasn't resting but sitting silently with his nerves on edge.
The black figure was the priestly garb of Kotomine Kirei.
From his profile, one might think he was pondering certain matters. Who could imagine that he was hearing the chant of the sea breeze and seeing before his eyes a battle scene filled with sparks from the clash of steel.
What he was seeing and hearing was an unknown battle between Servants occurring in the distant warehouses at the port… the content was identical to what his Servant Assassin saw.
He was using the result of his last three years of study. A skill called Shared Perception taught to him by Tohsaka Tokiomi.
Using only a Magical Energy connection, he could share senses with the one he had contracted with. In the Heaven's Feel, the ability to fully monitor a Servant's actions from a distance is very useful. If the Servant is an Assassin, especially skilled in reconnaissance, then this ability is unparalleled.
The only difficulty lies in the fact that if the contractor doesn't agree, the ability cannot be used. For Tokiomi, who taught this magic to Kirei himself, his suggestions were immediately rejected by Archer. For the arrogant King of Heroes, even if it was his master, allowing another to look through his eyes seemed highly unlikely.
Thus, the only ones who could achieve this were Kirei and Assassin.
"…Something is happening in the warehouses by the Mion River estuary. It seems the initial battle has begun."
Kirei spoke, but there was no one else in the darkness.
Instead, there was an antique phonograph on a table, with its brass horn tilted toward Kirei. As expected, the ordinary antique phonograph responded to his words with a human voice.
"It's not the initial one; officially, it's the second battle, Kirei."
Though the sound was quite distorted, the unrestrained and composed tone could only be the voice of Tohsaka Tokiomi.
A closer inspection of this antiquity showed that, although it could be mistaken for a phonograph with an old-fashioned bell-shaped horn, there was no turntable or stylus beneath the device. In their place, the tip of the horn was connected to a large jewel with a metal wire.
This contraption was a Magical Energy conductor passed down by the Tohsaka family, which Tokiomi lent to Kirei.
A similar Magical Energy conductor was placed in the workshop of the Tohsaka Residence.
It seems Tokiomi was also sitting in front of the device. Through sympathetic vibration, the jewels of the two contraptions could transmit the air vibrations within their horns to each other. This is the Tohsaka family using their jewel magic communication device.
As soon as the Fuyuki Church was placed in the hands of Father Kotomine Risei, Tokiomi installed the jewel communicator in the church. Father Risei was Tokiomi's secret supporter, while his son Kotomine Kirei was sent to the Church for protection at the start of the Heaven's Feel as the first to be defeated.
Logically, Tokiomi's goal was to communicate discreetly with these two individuals.
Everything seemed completely normal on the surface; no one would think Kirei could contact the outside world. At the same time, Kirei, who wasn't a mage, also thought that instead of using this strange machine, radios could solve the problem.
But the difference between radios and Tohsaka's jewel communicator was that conversations on the latter couldn't be intercepted.
Considering this, Tokiomi's cautious behavior was actually more beneficial to Kirei.
No matter what happens now, Assassin and Kirei have replaced Archer as Tokiomi's scouts. Kirei used his own eyes to see what Assassin sees and also employed the clairvoyance that comes with being a master to capture every minute detail.
"It seems to be a battle between Saber and Lancer. The level of Saber's Skills is extremely high, probably with most Parameters close to Rank A."
"…I see. No wonder it's the strongest Class. Can you see the master?"
"I can only see one other person… a silver-haired woman standing behind Saber."
"Hm… it seems Lancer's master knows to stay hidden. He's not an amateur; he understands the rules of this Heaven's Feel… Wait, you said Saber's master is a silver-haired woman?"
"Yes. A young Caucasian woman. Silver hair and red eyes, doesn't seem very human."
The other side of the brass horn seemed to be silently contemplating.
"…An Einzbern Homunculus? Are they still making Homunculus masters… though it's not impossible…"
"You're saying this woman is the Einzberns' master?"
"So Jubstacheit's pawns aren't limited to just Emiya Kiritsugu… it's hard to believe I actually predicted that wrong."
For the first time in his life, a curious stir arose in Kirei's chest; in a few moments, he realized it was actually an emotion called disappointment.
"In short, this woman is the key to understanding the flow of the Heaven's Feel. Kirei, you must pay close attention to her."
"I understand. I'll send someone to follow her at all times."
Immediately after receiving these mysterious words, Kirei continued to closely observe the two Heroic Spirits.
But whether it was the brilliant clash of blades or the leaping bursts of Magical Energy, in Kirei's eyes, they were no longer as bright as they seemed moments ago.
*****
"What's wrong, Bel?"
"It's no big deal. I'm just thrilled with the battle."
"Huh, I can see that, Bel; the ground at your feet is all cracked and broken."
How could I have just overheard Kirei's entire conversation with Tohsaka?
I was focused on Saber and Lancer's battle when I suddenly started hearing two distorted voices.
As the conversation unfolded, I realized it was Kirei and Tohsaka.
Though I couldn't hear clearly after I started paying attention to what they were saying. But as soon as I focused on Saber's battle again, I started hearing them again.
I can't understand how I can hear them talking.
They're no longer talking. Hm… Kirei will send one of Assassin's clones to follow Irisviel because Tohsaka said she's the key. Though I can't deny she's the key, as the Lesser Grail, she's quite powerless. If the Holy Grail hadn't been corrupted, I'd rip her heart out.
Well, for now, it's better to forget I overheard their unnecessary conversation and watch Saber's battle.
I can figure out how I heard their conversation with my true body in the Reverse Side of the World.
*****
Kiritsugu silently set up the Walther among the mountainous stacked containers at the dockside port by the cliffs. He followed the battle's situation using electronic scopes that pierced the darkness of the night.
First, the thermographic telescope… he spotted them. On the screen displaying cool tones of black and blue, red and orange images stood out vividly. The heat diagram representing the two merged, like a giant flare.
Further ahead, two smaller heat signatures appeared. One was in the middle of the street witnessing the battle, the other was hidden on the rooftops of a warehouse in a more remote location.
It was very easy to decide which one would be the assassination target.
In fact, it was Irisviel who stayed on the road. She was almost asserting that, as the partner of an excellent Saber, she shouldn't hide but fight a fair battle bravely and openly. So the heat signature on the rooftop would be the enemy master… the one controlling Lancer, who was facing Kiritsugu's Saber with dual lances.
Submerged in darkness, Kiritsugu displayed a cold smile. It was the best initial condition he could hope for. Lancer's master likely relied on illusions or magic that concealed his presence to hide his position and thought that was enough; he didn't consider it would be countered by mechanical cameras. Like all the other mages who died at Kiritsugu's hands, he would follow the same path to his destruction.
Kiritsugu contacted Maiya, positioned on the other side of the battlefield, via radio.
"Maiya, Lancer's master is hidden on top of the warehouses, northeast of where Saber is. Can you see him?"
"…No. From my position, it's a blind spot."
If possible, Kiritsugu wanted to cooperate with Maiya to ensure the attack's accuracy with crossfire. Unfortunately, only Kiritsugu himself could shoot at the moment. But it wouldn't be a problem, as it was only three hundred meters away. Kiritsugu's skills would have taken his target's life with just one bullet. As long as the target remained unaware of the sniper's presence, no mage could defend against a .300 Winchester Magnum bullet.
Setting up the bipod, Kiritsugu was just getting into the mood. Suddenly, with a start, he turned the Walther toward the crane.
At that moment, he felt all his plans were ruined.
Keeping his disapproval within his heart, he whispered into the radio again.
"Maiya, on the crane…"
"…Yes, affirmative here too, it's exactly as you thought."
It seems the figure seen by Kiritsugu through the night vision scope was also captured by Maiya's AUG assault rifle scope.
Meanwhile, the third party examining the battle between Saber and Lancer also spotted the silhouette on top of the crane.
It was a completely unpredictable event. In the Holy Grail War, it would logically be preferable to stay on the sidelines rather than eagerly participate in the battle. A smart master wouldn't intervene even if other Servants joined the fray but would choose to continue observing the fight. Choosing the aftermath of a conflict would also be a good idea. Even if someone wasn't so lucky, at least they'd know about the enemy's conditions.
Kiritsugu, who arrived first at the battle site, never thought this fight would have only one team of observers. He therefore gave up the best position on the crane and chose a spot that could monitor both it and the battlefield. The newcomer seemed unaware that their location was already under surveillance and occupied the ideal spot to watch the fight. Consequently, they were exposed to Kiritsugu's line of sight.
However, an important factor escaped his calculations.
Kiritsugu once again looked at the pale green form within the scope. It was an observer he had never seen before… completely covered in a pure black robe, a skull mask over the face. Though hard to believe, it was definitely Assassin, the one annihilated last night at the Tohsaka Residence.
Kiritsugu, who wasn't satisfied with the images recorded by Maiya's familiars, wasn't entirely surprised by the reappearance of the supposedly dead Assassin. The problem, aside from the oddity of the situation, is that the one currently on the crane is a Servant.
If Kiritsugu shot Lancer's master now, the opponent would die instantly, but it would also expose the sniper's location. Although Assassin isn't a Class with decisive combat strength, he is, nonetheless, a supernatural being, a Servant. As a mage, Kiritsugu could never win such a fight.
He couldn't expect Saber to help. Regarding the distance between Saber and him, Assassin was much closer to him. Besides, Saber didn't even know Kiritsugu was at the scene; he couldn't expect her to come to his aid.
Saber was also fully committed to the battle with Lancer. Even if a Servant loses their Magical Energy supply when their master is killed, the Servant can still remain materialized in this plane with their own strength.
Defeating Lancer's master didn't mean defeating Lancer.
Only one thing remained: the Command Seals.
The authority of the Command Seals isn't limited to the scope of the Servant's powers. When the Servant agrees with the master's order without resistance, the Command Seal can have effects beyond the Servant's potential and perform a miracle.
It wouldn't be impossible to instantly transport Saber to Kiritsugu's location to stop Assassin. But that would leave the defenseless Irisviel directly in front of Lancer.
…Kiritsugu thought incessantly, combining many elements and finally reached a conclusion. Although it was the ideal opportunity to eliminate Lancer's master, he'd have to let it pass tonight.
Once that was decided, it wouldn't be good to have doubts about anything else.
"Maiya, keep an eye on Assassin, I'll watch Lancer."
"Understood."
Kiritsugu sighed silently, lowered the Walther's bipod, and continued to calmly observe the scene within the scope.
Since he decided to abandon this opportunity, Saber's effort tonight was practically wasted.
If she could avoid revealing her Noble Phantasm or escape immediately with Irisviel, then he'd have to extend his thanks to her. But she was a proud and noble Heroic Spirit, and those possibilities were merely his conjectures.
Still, it wouldn't be a bad idea to see just once how capable his subordinate really is.
"…It's up to you, my lovely King of Knights."
__________________
Author's Notes
Sympathetic Vibration: In a stringed musical instrument, sympathetic strings are strings that are not acted upon but vibrate by simple resonance in sympathy with the notes played at the same pitch (frequency). They are coupled oscillators. This phenomenon can occur in strings that are rubbed, plucked, or struck. The sound of these instruments is therefore airier and gives the impression of resonant acoustic reverberation in a space. They are usually metal strings because they are less dispersive and thus have a higher resonance potential than gut strings (sheep intestines). In the case of a harp, sympathetic vibrations are described as omnipresent.